Overview
Early childhood advocates consider the community approach (CA) as a logical, effective way to provide universal four-year-old kindergarten (4K). A 4K Community Approach (4KCA) is a partnership between a school district and a community provider (child care, Head Start, private school) to offer 4K within the community setting. 4KCA allows families options in providing quality care and education, regardless of ability or family income.
Communities throughout Wisconsin have adopted a 4KCA approach to ensure that all four-year-olds have equitable access to quality learning opportunities. Working together, a broad range of local early childhood players – as many as possible – forge a common approach to a common goal: the emotional, educational, societal, and physical well-being of children. Through collaboration, 4KCA achieves more than the individual agencies acting independently.
Below are ten highlights 4KCA pulled from Wisconsin Stories Highlighting the Unique Benefits of the 4K Community Approach or 54 Reasons to Implement the 4K Community Approach, related to the benefits of 4KCA programs for children, families, educators and communities. These were complied in 2013 through a series of interviews and surveys with 4K CA providers across Wisconsin.
1. Children who need care for the hours when they are not in the 4K program can remain in one location. This reduces the number and stress of transitions experience by a child in one day.
2. The physical environment at the 4K Community Approach sites are usually designed for children younger than six-year-old.
3. Families with more than one child under the age of 5 can have all their preschool children in one location.
4. The 4K Community Approach program provides financial benefits for child care programs which typically face considerable fiscal challenges. Access to Child Care is a vital need for a healthy economy.
5. The 4K Community Approach program can increase the diversity of children enrolled in the community program.
6. Child Care program can increase their visibility and share their expertise about early childhood development and education with a broader scope of community partners.
7. The 4K Community Approach strengthens the partnerships between schools and community programs, easing the transition for children and families into the public school system.
8. The 4K Community Approach increase the contact that school districts have with the families of young children.
9. The flexibility in program design enables school district to design programs to best meet the needs of their community.
10. The partnerships between the school district, 4K sites and other community partners build strong and important links that benefit the entire community.
Additional benefits, based on specific categories, can be found within the below tiles.
Benefits of the Community Approach to...
